General Motors Co. is taking the first electric plunge.

GM is expanding its in-house electric vehicle development capabilities and will become the first U.S. automaker to design and manufacture electric motors, the company announced today.

GM Vice Chairman of Global Product Operations Tom Stephens said the company’s goal is to establish itself as a leader in electric motors for automobiles.

Electric motors are the core technology for hybrids and electric vehicles, and GM said in a statement that GM-built electric motors are scheduled to debut in 2013 in next-generation, rear-wheel drive, two-mode hybrid technology.

“In the future, electric motors might become as important to GM as engines are now,” Stephens said in a press release. “By designing and manufacturing electric motors in-house, we can more efficiently use energy from batteries as they evolve, potentially reducing cost and weight – two significant challenges facing batteries today.”

The U.S. Department of Energy selected GM for a $105 million grant for the construction of U.S. manufacturing capabilities to produce electric motors.

“The new GM is about speed, and we are delivering quickly on the government’s desire to grow domestic expertise in electric vehicle technologies, such as batteries and electric motors,” Stephens said.

GM told CNNMoney.com that it will invest $246 million in electric motor and electric drive manufacturing facilities in the United States, and that it will add a couple hundred jobs in order to make the engines.